DHL Global Forwarding and CMA CGM scale up biofuel partnership

DHL Global Forwarding and French shipping group CMA CGM have strengthened their collaboration on sustainable shipping by expanding the joint use of advanced biofuels for ocean freight, aiming to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions across global supply chains.

Under the agreement, the partners will deploy 8,990 metric tonnes of second-generation biofuel derived from used cooking oil (UCOME) for cargo moved under DHL’s GoGreen Plus programme. DHL said the initiative is expected to cut approximately 25,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions on a well-to-wake basis.

The biofuel will be physically supplied to vessels across CMA CGM’s container fleet, while the associated emissions savings will be transferred to DHL customers through a Book & Claim mechanism. This approach allows shippers to benefit from lower-carbon transport even if the specific vessel carrying their cargo does not directly consume the sustainable fuel.

The collaboration aligns DHL’s GoGreen Plus service with CMA CGM’s ACT+ low-carbon transport solution, offering customers an integrated pathway to reduce the environmental footprint of maritime shipments. Through the use of sustainable marine fuels, GoGreen Plus enables emissions reductions of up to 80% compared with conventional fossil-based shipping fuels.

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight arm of DHL Group, provides international freight transport, customs brokerage and end-to-end supply chain services to business customers worldwide. The division focuses on standardized and sector-specific logistics solutions that support global trade.

CMA CGM, headquartered in France, operates a global container shipping fleet and delivers integrated transport and logistics services across major trade lanes. The group continues to invest in alternative fuels and low-carbon solutions as part of its broader decarbonisation strategy.

The expanded biofuel partnership underscores growing momentum among logistics providers and ocean carriers to accelerate emissions reductions in maritime transport while offering customers practical, scalable sustainability options.